The Pied Piper Of Hamelin (Digitally Remastered)

Product Description

Digitally Remastered - Based on the Brothers Grimm tale, this film tells the well-known tale of Hamelin, a village plagued by rats. In order to deal with the problem, the village Mayor hires a Piper to lure the rodents away and agrees to a handsome fee as payment. The rats are led away, only to have the mayor renege on his promise. In revenge, the Piper lures all the children of the village to his mountain lair. Don't worry, the film offers a happy ending. Most of the film dialogue is spoken in rhyme over an excellent Edvard Grieg music score.

Customer Reviews:

A Fond Memory From Youth.......2005-11-21

Unique for the Fifties, this made for television "spectacular" (as they were called in those days) was a favorite for years, and can still be seen on TV occasionally. It was filmed in Technicolor for the overseas market, with full Hollywood production values courtesy of Hal Stanley, the man in charge of bringing the famous tale to life. The music of Edvard Grieg is used quite effectively, both as background/foreground music and as melody for song (book and lyrics by Irving Taylor and Hal Stanley). Van Johnson's Pied Piper portrayal stuck with him for the remainder of his career, so strong was this 1957 production (he was even asked to semi-reprise the role for the "Batman" television series, but they called his character "The Minstrel"). He had been a leading man since the 1940s, with a serviceable, if not great, singing voice, and he acquits himself admirably here. His co-stars, the wonderful Claude Rains (who also gets a chance to sing), Lori Nelson, Kay Starr, Jim Backus, Doodles Weaver and Stanley Adams (the latter two as a sort of Laurel and Hardy pairing of henchmen for Rains) all throw themselves into the performance, adding their own touches to the proceedings. Highlights are the inspired use of "In The Hall Of The Mountain King" for the Piper's rat-luring sequence, the snatching of the town's children when the Piper is not paid, Backus' leering, blowhard antics as the King's emissary, and Rains and the town politicians defining "Prestige" in song. Since copyright has expired on this film, there are many, many issues on VHS and DVD. This one is packaged well, sound and picture reproduced quite crisply, except for some minor glitches in the "Prestige" number. Even after all these years, this production of "Hamelin" still works and warms (it has a happy ending, which, of course, the original tale does not). You may want to screen it yourself before showing it to young children, as the sequence of rats (animated though they may be) drowned and a crippled child crying when he is unable to follow the others into the mountain may be a bit much for the small set. The lyrics of several of the songs may also go over their heads, although they will have fun with "Flim Flam Floo". Enjoy.

Average customer rating:

enjoyable for film trivia buffs
Very weird, very corny, very dumb!!
Flawed technical job, but a reasonable price
'Pied Piper is a treat for all ages!'

Van Johnson: Pied Piper of Hamelin
Starring: Van Johnson , Claude Rains , Lori Nelson , Jim Backus , and Kay Starr
Director: Bretaigne Windust
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006AUGG
Release Date: 2002-04-16

Customer Reviews:

enjoyable for film trivia buffs.......2007-06-25

I just watched this film for the first time on PBS. I thought I must have been made in the 1930's because it seemed so dated, but discovered it was a made-for-tv movie in 1957. If I were just watching it as face-value entertainment, I would have thought it odd and boring, but I LOVED the cast and how it was made. I loved recognizing Edvard Grieg's (modified) music, and the rhyming dialog that I later discovered was from Robert Browning's poem. I had only seen Van Johnson in WW II movies, and so didn't know he sang, which was enjoyable. Same for Claude Raines. And Jim Backus was a great addition. There were a lot of special effects that must have been really "leading edge" at the time (Van Johnson playing himself double, animated rats being driven to the river, items magically appearing and disappearing), and color at the time was very new, especially on tv. I loved the quirkiness and had a great time watching it.

Very weird, very corny, very dumb!!.......2006-07-03

My daughter's friend loaned her this film, saying, "This is one of the strangest movies I have ever seen. Watch it and tell me what you think of it." So we gave it a whirl, and we too found it very strange, right from the beginning. Seeing Van Johnson as the piper in that ugly red and white cape, slithering down the tree trunk like a snake was the sign this was only going to go downhill from here, and it did. I got bored with it pretty fast, and having so many dumb songs didn't help move it along either. The rhyming dialog was hokey too. It was pretty close to torture to watch...I rate movies 1 star that are pure torture ( such as the worst movies I think I have ever witnessed: Buster Keaton in Boom in the Moon, and Elvis Presley's Harum Scarum). This wasn't PURE torture, but pretty close. So really it rates 1 and 1/2 stars. I have never liked Van Johnson much, so he didn't help me like this weird bit of cinema. I have enjoyed Claude Rains in many classic films. I wonder why he stooped so low to be the mayor in this dumb movie? I guess by the time any actor is 68 yrs. old, they will take any role they can get, and such must have been Rains' case. During one of the dumb songs, I said to my daughter, " When this is over, I am going to go online and read reviews about it, and I bet this is one of those films that will have tons of "Oh, this was my favorite film when I was a child; so glad to see it available again" type reviews. I got on IMDb and I was right! Nearly every review gushed at how wonderful this film was because of a childhood memory!! It made me laugh! I guess I wanted to post this review to sort of balance out these sorts of childhood memory reviews. I have watched over 600 films from the classic era ( silents thru the 1950's) and this one is really really bad, folks. I guess if you get it for a dollar at Walmart, you aren't losing much to try it out. And maybe if you are a diehard fan of Van Johnson, you would want this in your collection. I know everyone has different appreciation for what is a "good movie". But all in our house were very glad when it was finally over, and we could watch something REALLY good!!!

Flawed technical job, but a reasonable price.......2003-05-08

As a tiny tot I vaguely remember being mesmerized by this colorful children's production. Today I am able to see how contrived and staged a production it was. Nonetheless, it is a classic of the period.

If you are spoiled by some of the beautiful sight and sound restorations of old films available on DVD today, this one will leave you disappointed. On the DVD I purchased, both the film and soundtrack are filled with artifacts. During one production sequence called "Prestige" film frames are dropped and the sound is severely truncated, even going out of synch in one section. This may be the only source print available, however.

The DVD is also flawed by poor DVD authoring. The menu index does not correctly correspond to the film's content. In fact, the true Chapter I of the authoring is not accessible via the DVD menu at all on my copy. This is poor technical work and totally avoidable.

But, it is not an expensive issue and it does provide an opportunity to see some classic performances by Claude Rains, Van Johnson, and Jim Backus. The film includes a wonderful guest performance by Kay Starr.

This is a piece I'd like to see a fine team of restoration experts tackle. But for less than 10 bucks it isn't a bad deal. It's no worse than watching old film prints on Sunday afternoon local affiliate TV stations.

'Pied Piper is a treat for all ages!'.......2003-04-07

This Alpha Video DVD of 'The Pied Piper Of Hamelin' is the best source print of this film I have ever seen.

'Pied Piper Of Hamelin' (1956) is a family treat for all ages and for all holidays. First filmed in color as a Hallmark TV special, it is a masterful, musical re-telling of the legendary fairy tale using the beautiful mysterious, music of Edward Grieg with new lyrics.

The cast is first-rate, with movie great Van Johnson brilliantly playing the strange and often frightening piper, as well as the kind school teacher Trueson, who is also the village concience. Legendary movie villain Claude Rains is absolutely wonderful as the clever, sneering, and corrupt lord mayor of Hamelin. Rains has a ball playing him like Prince John of 'Adventures Of Robin Hood' (1938) in retirement! He even does a comical, show-stopping song and dance! Jim Backus also appears as the King's messenger, and his comedy is sorely needed as this fairy tale goes dark in it's second half.

One highlight of the film, is Van Johnson as the Pied Piper, leading the rats out of Hamelin to their deaths in the river. He is playing on his pipe the haunting melody of 'In The Hall Of The Mountain King' from Mr. Grieg's 'Peter Guint Suite' as the cleverly animated rats march to oblivion!

Unlike the fairy tale, this 'Pied Piper Of Hamelin' has a happy ending with a lesson for everyone about greed, selfishness, and false pride.

Average customer rating:

Sometimes older is better

The Pied Piper Hamelin
Starring: Van Johnson
Manufacturer: Allied Artists Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AM4PN6
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Customer Reviews:

Sometimes older is better .......2005-08-05

This review is being written from memory of when I used to watch this movie on TV!! It's a little dated with lack of today's spectacular FX, but it's still a good, clean, old-time fanstasy based on a fairly tale that the whole family can watch.
I liked the story (even though it doesn't follow the actual story exactly, because in the fairly tale there was no happy ending). The music was great and based off classical music and used very effectively throughout the movie. (The piece used as the piper's tune to lure the rats away has stuck with me all my life.) Definitely a movie parents can let children can watch and not be worried about filthy language or horrifying special effects. It also teaches a lesson about honor and the consequences of not living up to it. Highly recommended.

Faerie Tale Theatre - The Pied Piper Of Hamelin

Average customer rating:

my favorite video to watch when I was around eight
A depressant, not a stimulant.
a fine (though curious) entry into the series
Best Faerie Tale Theatre Ever!
Wonderful and surreal...as fairy tales should be.

Faerie Tale Theatre - The Pied Piper Of Hamelin
Starring: Eric Idle , Tony Van Bridge , and Keram Malicki-Sanchez
Director: Nicholas Meyer
Manufacturer: Starmaker II
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00061UI00
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Description

When a selfish mayor refuses to pay a Pied Piper for ridding the rats from the town, the Piper gets rid of all the children in the town as well.

Customer Reviews:

my favorite video to watch when I was around eight.......2005-12-02

I watched this over and over and over as a kid. My grandma taped it for me off the tv and brought it over (she taped a few different episodes of the series). I loved the dark feeling of it, the sadness it left. Eric Idle is almost frightening in a way in this part. I remember it used to scare my friends a little. As for the episode, it's beautiful and I am amazed whenever I watch it. The visuals are set almost like paintings in a way. The council at the table, the dark room, the town itself. It's like one big moving illustration.

If your child has some curious tastes, likes reading (the narrative can be hard to understand for young kids at times), and has a good attention span, I'd say this will be a nice gift. It's a breath of fresh air from children's movies and shows that end with smiles, not all little kids like that.

A depressant, not a stimulant........2005-04-06

But, a non-"happily ever after" faerie tale isn't a bad thing. I know that it's an extremely unpopular choice, but this was always my favorite episode--even as a little kid. They wonderfully captured the eerie feeling of the original poem. I was always impressed by the way that they added new lines to Robert Browning's poem in a way that worked so well. It was also a delight seeing Eric Idle going from Monty Python to something as surprisingly serious as this. This is also a great way to introduce children to poetry. This helped me to fall in love with Browning's work as a child.

a fine (though curious) entry into the series.......2004-10-08

THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN is a fine (though a little curious) entry into the fabulous FAERIE TALE THEATRE series. Curious that the subject matter isn't really a fairytale. The story comes from the famed poem by Robert Browning.

Eric Idle is perfectly-cast as the enigmatic Piper of the title, and also appears as Browning himself at the beginning of the tale (serving as Narrator as well).

Fine production values and capable direction from Nicholas Meyer keep this episode sleek and stylish, though little children may find it somewhat boring.

Best Faerie Tale Theatre Ever!.......2003-09-18

I would have to agree with the previous review that this is the best episode of Faerie Tale Theatre. In adapting faerie tales for film or television, the biggest difficulty seems to be in capturing that sense of awe and wonder that the original stories invoke. Without picture illustrations and a child's imagination to fill in the blanks, the original stories often appear static and lifeless on the screen. At worst, the sublime becomes downright ridiculous. Faerie Tale Theatre is a great and entertaining show, but rarely has it captured that sense of magic. This episode is one time that is has, and the results are truly something to behold. Eric Idle is the only "name" here, but the rest of the cast is equally perfect in their roles. Nicholas Meyer creates an entire other world, utilizing medieval tones in setting and costumes, as well as an eerie score of pipes from composer James Horner. The effect is mesmerizing, and if the use of rhyme as dialogue takes some getting used to, it only adds to the haunting impact in the end. This episode may be too disturbing for the youngest children, but all lovers of faerie tales owe it to themselves to see this. It doesn't have the budget of big-screen fantasies, but I rank this right up there with the NeverEnding Story and the Dark Crystal. If you love those films, then you understand what I mean about the sublime.

Wonderful and surreal...as fairy tales should be........2001-09-08

In the early to mid eighties, Shelly Duvall produced a cable show for the then flagship HBO network called Faerie Tale Theatre. The intent was to bring classic childhood stories to an audience of young and old alike through big name stars, directors, and hip, irreverent writing. Without this series, there would not have been a "Princess Bride". Although many of these were excellent examples of the best television could offer, the finest hour (for me) was director Nicholas Meyer's interpretation of Robert Browning's "Pied Piper of Hamelin". Both faithful to the original poem and liberal in its creative embellishments, Meyer perfectly captured the eerieness of the story. The show starred Eric Idle and he makes a perfect Piper. Tall, pale, with piercing eyes and a hawklike nose, Idle looke every bit the character: part mystic, part mercenary. And his final march out of Hamelin with the children is truly the stuff of innocent nightmares. Without sentimentality, without any concession to cuteness, this episode proved that within all great children's stories lurked something magical and sinister...Just like adulthood.

Family Fables: The Pied Piper of Hamelin/The Inspector General/Royal Wedding

Average customer rating:

Family Fables: The Pied Piper of Hamelin/The Inspector General/Royal Wedding
Starring: Family Fables
Manufacturer: Vintage Home Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001ZX0L0
Release Date: 2004-05-18

Average customer rating:

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Director: Henry Koster
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ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Family Classics 4-Movie Pack - Jungle Book, Gulliver's Travels (Animated) , My Favorite Brunette, Pied Piper of Hamelin

Average customer rating:

Family Classics 4-Movie Pack - Jungle Book, Gulliver's Travels (Animated) , My Favorite Brunette, Pied Piper of Hamelin
Starring: Sabu , Joseph Calleia , John Qualen , Frank Puglia , and Rosemary DeCamp
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Family: Royal Wedding/The Pied Piper of Hamelin

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DVD:

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